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Mdsfx

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
357
Man, it's been a while since I visited and I don't recognize any of these names anymore. I just wanted to share that my fitness journey that started with running and now wrapping up my third year of triathlon has led to me signing up for my first Half Ironman next June (Steelhead 70.3 in Michigan).

I was just realizing that I had no idea I could possibly get to this point. I remember running out of breath after running 1/4 mile on day one (5 years ago). It's amazing how much people, literally ANYONE, can change so much incrementally over time.
 

Titik

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,490
So ive been trying out a new routine the past 6 weeks and I feel like I'm gaining so much muscles. Finally figured out what my body likes to do and how it responds to them. Ive been going hard at it for the last 4 weeks now and sometimes I'm at the gym for 1.5 hours everyday for 3 to 6 days a week. People are noticing too and have been commenting out of the blue on my gains. Getting hit on a lot now even by friends that used to pass me over (we are all gay lol).

But this week, it feels like my a couple joints are starting to ache a little bit and I'm stalling on some of my lifts. Still gaining on some tho. Does this mean I need a deload soon? How does one go about doing that?

For reference, here is my routine:

Push:
Bench Press 3x6
Incline bench press 3x8
Body weight dip 3x14 (will be adding weights as soon as I reach 16)
BW Pull Up 3x8 (will be adding weights as soon as I reach 16)
Tricep Extension 3x8
Weighted carry

Pull:
Trap Bar deadlift 5x5
Barbel row 5X7
Overhead press 5x7
Bicep Curl 3x8
Ab Work

Leg:
Squat 5X6
Romanian DL 3x8
Weighted Hip Thrust 3x8
machine Calf raises 3x16
Weighted Carry
Some ab work if I have extra time.

I add a rep each time I'm able to successfully do all sets with proper form til I reach 8 reps. For the main lifts, I add 5 to 10 lbs then go down 5 reps. Rinse, repeat.

I consider myself a beginner.

I'm doing this during a cut. Was 17% body fat and now I'm down to 12%. Also went down from 135 to 129lbs. I'm 5'6" btw.

I do this over a three day consecutive period. Sometimes skip a day depending on how I feel but no more than a two day break in between, usually during my 36 hour fasts. I am also doing fasted training just before I break it meaning I do intense lifting just before eating lol.

Eating at a 500 calorie deficit. I do intermittent fasting and I do 36 hour fasts once a week. I make sure I eat enough to compensate on the next refeeding day (I eat enough for a day and a half) though and my protein intake is at least 120 a grams a day on average.

Some joint are starting to hurt at the usual weak spots (right knee and right elbow) but nothing so bad that I can't lift. I'm thinking that this is my joints telling me to slow down a bit and let them recover, correct? Had no trouble gaining on my lifts especially when my body fat % was higher so I was probably. Now that I wrote that all down I probably do need a deload.
 

Teggy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,892
Man, it's been a while since I visited and I don't recognize any of these names anymore. I just wanted to share that my fitness journey that started with running and now wrapping up my third year of triathlon has led to me signing up for my first Half Ironman next June (Steelhead 70.3 in Michigan).

I was just realizing that I had no idea I could possibly get to this point. I remember running out of breath after running 1/4 mile on day one (5 years ago). It's amazing how much people, literally ANYONE, can change so much incrementally over time.

But running makes you lose your gainz...

Just kidding, great job. I want to start doing cyclocross and it requires a lot more stamina than recreational biking so I'm going to be starting a new training plan soon. We'll see!
 

jvalioli

Member
Oct 27, 2017
695
So ive been trying out a new routine the past 6 weeks and I feel like I'm gaining so much muscles. Finally figured out what my body likes to do and how it responds to them. Ive been going hard at it for the last 4 weeks now and sometimes I'm at the gym for 1.5 hours everyday for 3 to 6 days a week. People are noticing too and have been commenting out of the blue on my gains. Getting hit on a lot now even by friends that used to pass me over (we are all gay lol).

But this week, it feels like my a couple joints are starting to ache a little bit and I'm stalling on some of my lifts. Still gaining on some tho. Does this mean I need a deload soon? How does one go about doing that?

For reference, here is my routine:

Push:
Bench Press 3x6
Incline bench press 3x8
Body weight dip 3x14 (will be adding weights as soon as I reach 16)
BW Pull Up 3x8 (will be adding weights as soon as I reach 16)
Tricep Extension 3x8
Weighted carry

Pull:
Trap Bar deadlift 5x5
Barbel row 5X7
Overhead press 5x7
Bicep Curl 3x8
Ab Work

Leg:
Squat 5X6
Romanian DL 3x8
Weighted Hip Thrust 3x8
machine Calf raises 3x16
Weighted Carry
Some ab work if I have extra time.

I add a rep each time I'm able to successfully do all sets with proper form til I reach 8 reps. For the main lifts, I add 5 to 10 lbs then go down 5 reps. Rinse, repeat.

I consider myself a beginner.

I'm doing this during a cut. Was 17% body fat and now I'm down to 12%. Also went down from 135 to 129lbs. I'm 5'6" btw.

I do this over a three day consecutive period. Sometimes skip a day depending on how I feel but no more than a two day break in between, usually during my 36 hour fasts. I am also doing fasted training just before I break it meaning I do intense lifting just before eating lol.

Eating at a 500 calorie deficit. I do intermittent fasting and I do 36 hour fasts once a week. I make sure I eat enough to compensate on the next refeeding day (I eat enough for a day and a half) though and my protein intake is at least 120 a grams a day on average.

Some joint are starting to hurt at the usual weak spots (right knee and right elbow) but nothing so bad that I can't lift. I'm thinking that this is my joints telling me to slow down a bit and let them recover, correct? Had no trouble gaining on my lifts especially when my body fat % was higher so I was probably. Now that I wrote that all down I probably do need a deload.

Deload. Do 50% weight or 50% volume for a week. A week is about right for your joints to recover.

I would also stop your cut. Unless you are competing in bodybuilding you aren't going to see much benefit at lower percentages than you are now especially since you are a beginner.
 

Titik

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,490
Deload. Do 50% weight or 50% volume for a week. A week is about right for your joints to recover.

I would also stop your cut. Unless you are competing in bodybuilding you aren't going to see much benefit at lower percentages than you are now especially since you are a beginner.
That was what I was suspecting too. Thank you.

Just so happy to be able to see gains. I was doing beginners program before and I wasn't seeing much gains so I cheated a lot. So happy to find a routine that I'm responding too.

Now im not going in blind which is a huge mental and psychological boost.
 

Tuorom

Member
Oct 30, 2017
10,915
That was what I was suspecting too. Thank you.

Just so happy to be able to see gains. I was doing beginners program before and I wasn't seeing much gains so I cheated a lot. So happy to find a routine that I'm responding too.

Now im not going in blind which is a huge mental and psychological boost.

Since you're at such a low weight already, I think you'll see a much bigger benefit to eating more. That food will = more muscle mass and will end up making you look much stronger (and feel and be much stronger).

Also it is easier to make gains when your body has the building blocks to actually make muscle. This could also contribute to your joint soreness. How's your body suppose to heal without any nutrients to use to heal itself?

Things to think about.
 
Oct 27, 2017
5,000
I don't post here often but I wanted to run something by you guys. Essentially I'm at a very weird spot with my lifting. I'm somehow a beginner in a lot of ways but advanced in others.

To get this out of the way, my singles (in pounds):

Bench - 245
Squat - 415
Deadlift - 565
OHP - 190

Here's a video of my deadlift:

Hidden content
You need to reply to this thread in order to see this content.
They're decent (outside of bench), and I'm proud of what I've accomplished in my 15 months of lifting, but I still don't LOOK strong, and I'm still not happy with my body composition. I started at 280 and I'm down to 230, trying to hit 220, but my diet still sucks. I basically eat out once a day and fill in the rest with a protein shake/bars. It's lousy and I can't deny it. I'm only losing weight because my calorie intake is low, not because I'm making healthy choices. When I start to plan out a healthier diet I get this immense overwhelming feeling that it's too hard or I have no idea what I'm doing.

I have a coach who's helping me with my programming, which in my opinion is excellent, but I still feel lost. I'm not even sure why I'm doing this anymore... I stumbled into powerlifting but it's not making me look the way I want to look, and oddly I still don't feel strong. I can squat 415 (parallel) but squatting down to pet my dog still feels awkward. It makes no sense. My mobility/recovery is still awful, and I have the same issue with there that I do with my diet... I have NO idea how to stretch or what stretches to even do. My cardio is essentially nonexistent at this point as well.

The more I read I feel like the less I understand and the more overwhelmed I become in all aspects of lifting/getting fit.

Any advice on how to overcome this?
 

jvalioli

Member
Oct 27, 2017
695
I don't post here often but I wanted to run something by you guys. Essentially I'm at a very weird spot with my lifting. I'm somehow a beginner in a lot of ways but advanced in others.

To get this out of the way, my singles (in pounds):

Bench - 245
Squat - 415
Deadlift - 565
OHP - 190

Here's a video of my deadlift:

[Hidden content]

They're decent (outside of bench), and I'm proud of what I've accomplished in my 15 months of lifting, but I still don't LOOK strong, and I'm still not happy with my body composition. I started at 280 and I'm down to 230, trying to hit 220, but my diet still sucks. I basically eat out once a day and fill in the rest with a protein shake/bars. It's lousy and I can't deny it. I'm only losing weight because my calorie intake is low, not because I'm making healthy choices. When I start to plan out a healthier diet I get this immense overwhelming feeling that it's too hard or I have no idea what I'm doing.

I have a coach who's helping me with my programming, which in my opinion is excellent, but I still feel lost. I'm not even sure why I'm doing this anymore... I stumbled into powerlifting but it's not making me look the way I want to look, and oddly I still don't feel strong. I can squat 415 (parallel) but squatting down to pet my dog still feels awkward. It makes no sense. My mobility/recovery is still awful, and I have the same issue with there that I do with my diet... I have NO idea how to stretch or what stretches to even do. My cardio is essentially nonexistent at this point as well.

The more I read I feel like the less I understand and the more overwhelmed I become in all aspects of lifting/getting fit.

Any advice on how to overcome this?
What do you actually want to look like? Everyone has a different idea of what looking strong looks like.

Your numbers look pretty good (bench is low tho; maybe you don't feel strong because your upper body is lagging behind?) and you said you were losing weight. Lots of people lose weight be restricting calories and not "eating healthy" so I don't see the problem there.

Is your coach online or in person? He should be helping you with your mobility since it will make you a better lifter.

I'm not sure if you posted the video because you want critiques or not.
 
Last edited:

Deleted member 984

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
5,203
I don't post here often but I wanted to run something by you guys. Essentially I'm at a very weird spot with my lifting. I'm somehow a beginner in a lot of ways but advanced in others.

To get this out of the way, my singles (in pounds):

Bench - 245
Squat - 415
Deadlift - 565
OHP - 190

Here's a video of my deadlift:

[Hidden content]

They're decent (outside of bench), and I'm proud of what I've accomplished in my 15 months of lifting, but I still don't LOOK strong, and I'm still not happy with my body composition. I started at 280 and I'm down to 230, trying to hit 220, but my diet still sucks. I basically eat out once a day and fill in the rest with a protein shake/bars. It's lousy and I can't deny it. I'm only losing weight because my calorie intake is low, not because I'm making healthy choices. When I start to plan out a healthier diet I get this immense overwhelming feeling that it's too hard or I have no idea what I'm doing.

I have a coach who's helping me with my programming, which in my opinion is excellent, but I still feel lost. I'm not even sure why I'm doing this anymore... I stumbled into powerlifting but it's not making me look the way I want to look, and oddly I still don't feel strong. I can squat 415 (parallel) but squatting down to pet my dog still feels awkward. It makes no sense. My mobility/recovery is still awful, and I have the same issue with there that I do with my diet... I have NO idea how to stretch or what stretches to even do. My cardio is essentially nonexistent at this point as well.

The more I read I feel like the less I understand and the more overwhelmed I become in all aspects of lifting/getting fit.

Any advice on how to overcome this?

You do look strong, you look like a powerlifter. You say your not happy with that so what would your ideal goal be?

Lifting isn't the best for overall fitness regardless of the type you do, particularly mobility, endurance, and cardiovascular health. There are lots of different kinds of strength and lifting really only focuses on one or two of those dependent on the type you focus on. Lifting is going to be a part of any good workout programming but if you want to feel more athletic you really need to incorporate a wider ranger of exercises that effect your nervous and cardiovascular system in different ways. What these are will really depend on where you are at and what your goals are.

A calorie deficit and exercise is usually going to make you feel a bit shit and make recovery harder especially if you aren't getting your micros, this is where the importance of nutrient dense foods come into play.

I'd highly recommend you go see a personal trainer, knowing all the goals you have in mind beforehand and they will help assess where you are at and advise on how to get to where you want to go.
 
Oct 27, 2017
5,000
Thank you both for your replies.

What do you actually want to look like? Everyone has a different idea of what looking strong looks like.

Your numbers look pretty good (bench is low tho; maybe you don't feel strong because your upper body is lagging behind?) and you said you were losing weight. Lots of people lose weight be restricting calories and not "eating healthy" so I don't see the problem there.

Is your coach online or in person? He should be helping you with your mobility since it will make you a better lifter.

I'm not sure if you posted the video because you want critiques or not.

I think my bench is lagging behind because I've only recently got the technique in a better place. My OHP is pretty strong so my upper body isn't lagging too terribly. My coach was in person, but now he just sends me my program and I send him videos of my lifts. Honestly I'm not looking for critiques on my form since that was an absolute max attempt and every competitive powerlifter at my gym has said my form is pretty good. It's not perfect but I know what I need to work on. I posted that video so nobody would think I was bullshitting my numbers and so you guys could see what I looked like.
You do look strong, you look like a powerlifter. You say your not happy with that so what would your ideal goal be?

Lifting isn't the best for overall fitness regardless of the type you do, particularly mobility, endurance, and cardiovascular health. There are lots of different kinds of strength and lifting really only focuses on one or two of those dependent on the type you focus on. Lifting is going to be a part of any good workout programming but if you want to feel more athletic you really need to incorporate a wider ranger of exercises that effect your nervous and cardiovascular system in different ways. What these are will really depend on where you are at and what your goals are.

A calorie deficit and exercise is usually going to make you feel a bit shit and make recovery harder especially if you aren't getting your micros, this is where the importance of nutrient dense foods come into play.

I'd highly recommend you go see a personal trainer, knowing all the goals you have in mind beforehand and they will help assess where you are at and advise on how to get to where you want to go.
I guess my goal would be to look strong to the casual observer. The strongest guy in my gym (it's a powerlifting gym) just looks like a regular fat guy, and I want to avoid that. It sounds shallow as hell, but I don't feel I'm at the point where walking around in public the average person would look at me and think "that dude lifts heavy weight." I've been overweight a lot of my life so I know I'll never look good without a shirt on due to loose skin, but I'd kill to not look so soft.

You're right about working out on a near constant cut. I essentially feel awful all the time.

I have a coach right now, and honestly I'm not sure I could trust any normal personal trainer at this point. I feel like I'm past that "casual" point. This is also where I'm torn... people at my gym want me to compete and I'm not sure I'd ever want to, and if I'm not going to compete why am I powerlifting? Is there an alternative that would be better for me?
 

jvalioli

Member
Oct 27, 2017
695
Thank you both for your replies.



I think my bench is lagging behind because I've only recently got the technique in a better place. My OHP is pretty strong so my upper body isn't lagging too terribly. My coach was in person, but now he just sends me my program and I send him videos of my lifts. Honestly I'm not looking for critiques on my form since that was an absolute max attempt and every competitive powerlifter at my gym has said my form is pretty good. It's not perfect but I know what I need to work on. I posted that video so nobody would think I was bullshitting my numbers and so you guys could see what I looked like.

I guess my goal would be to look strong to the casual observer. The strongest guy in my gym (it's a powerlifting gym) just looks like a regular fat guy, and I want to avoid that. It sounds shallow as hell, but I don't feel I'm at the point where walking around in public the average person would look at me and think "that dude lifts heavy weight." I've been overweight a lot of my life so I know I'll never look good without a shirt on due to loose skin, but I'd kill to not look so soft.

You're right about working out on a near constant cut. I essentially feel awful all the time.

I have a coach right now, and honestly I'm not sure I could trust any normal personal trainer at this point. I feel like I'm past that "casual" point. This is also where I'm torn... people at my gym want me to compete and I'm not sure I'd ever want to, and if I'm not going to compete why am I powerlifting? Is there an alternative that would be better for me?

There are plenty of other styles of lifting weights. CrossFit, weightlifting, bodybuilding. Powerbuilding is becoming more popular in the powerlifting community. It is a mix of powerlifting and bodybuilding. Lots of the people in the < 120kg weight classes do it. The fat powerlifter thing is dying more and more each year outside or the 120kg weight class.

Honestly if you keep cutting weight you will probably be fine. Have you gotten your body fat percentage looked at? It would be a good indicator. Also what is your height? Might be helpful to look at some powerlifters or bodybuilders at your height for comparison.
 

Nelo Ice

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 27, 2017
7,446
What's a good substitute for barbell squats?. Left thigh feels tender whenever I squat. Happened after I tried to push for on 215 on SS and I prolly made it worse getting cute by and flipping a huge tire once lol.
 
Oct 25, 2017
1,205
Guys.. this challenge for September was horse. shit.

EFNY6gTUcAAjI1w.jpg



But.. I'm going to finish it tomorrow. 6 days early as well! It required 47.5 minutes of exercise every single day... But I was averaging about 60+ minutes for the first 25 days of the month to finish it early. Feels good.
 

Deleted member 984

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
5,203
Thank you both for your replies.



I think my bench is lagging behind because I've only recently got the technique in a better place. My OHP is pretty strong so my upper body isn't lagging too terribly. My coach was in person, but now he just sends me my program and I send him videos of my lifts. Honestly I'm not looking for critiques on my form since that was an absolute max attempt and every competitive powerlifter at my gym has said my form is pretty good. It's not perfect but I know what I need to work on. I posted that video so nobody would think I was bullshitting my numbers and so you guys could see what I looked like.

I guess my goal would be to look strong to the casual observer. The strongest guy in my gym (it's a powerlifting gym) just looks like a regular fat guy, and I want to avoid that. It sounds shallow as hell, but I don't feel I'm at the point where walking around in public the average person would look at me and think "that dude lifts heavy weight." I've been overweight a lot of my life so I know I'll never look good without a shirt on due to loose skin, but I'd kill to not look so soft.

You're right about working out on a near constant cut. I essentially feel awful all the time.

I have a coach right now, and honestly I'm not sure I could trust any normal personal trainer at this point. I feel like I'm past that "casual" point. This is also where I'm torn... people at my gym want me to compete and I'm not sure I'd ever want to, and if I'm not going to compete why am I powerlifting? Is there an alternative that would be better for me?

Powerbuilding sounds like a good alternative as you are at a powerlifting gym. If you want to look jacked as quickly as possible then bodybuilding is really your best option, but you aren't going to be pushing numbers like you are now which seeing as you are at a powerlifting gym you might get a lot of shit for it.

If you want to be the biggest you are going to have to look into steroids. It's not a part of my goals but if I wanted to look big in clothes I'd be looking to hit about 110kg - 120kg including low percentage body fat, my natural limit is estimated at 90kg fat free body mass so there would only be one option if that is what I wanted.
 

jvalioli

Member
Oct 27, 2017
695
It's not a part of my goals but if I wanted to look big in clothes I'd be looking to hit about 110kg - 120kg including low percentage body fat, my natural limit is estimated at 90kg fat free body mass so there would only be one option if that is what I wanted.
How was that determined? Not doubting, just wondering how you found that out and how tall you are.
 
Last edited:

Deleted member 984

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
5,203
How was that determined?

Natural limit was from a variety of different maximum LBM calculators. Some were tied in with FFMI calculators. All of which came out around 90kg give or take a few kilograms.

Look big in clothes was people of the same height as myself and a variety of different people that are usually around the 10% bf mark.

There is potential that I could naturally get bigger due to genetics as the numbers are estimates but really that number was my target anyway and about seeing if it was realistic.
 

Thac0

Member
Nov 15, 2017
235
I don't post here often but I wanted to run something by you guys. Essentially I'm at a very weird spot with my lifting. I'm somehow a beginner in a lot of ways but advanced in others.

To get this out of the way, my singles (in pounds):

Bench - 245
Squat - 415
Deadlift - 565
OHP - 190

Here's a video of my deadlift:

[Hidden content]

They're decent (outside of bench), and I'm proud of what I've accomplished in my 15 months of lifting, but I still don't LOOK strong, and I'm still not happy with my body composition. I started at 280 and I'm down to 230, trying to hit 220, but my diet still sucks. I basically eat out once a day and fill in the rest with a protein shake/bars. It's lousy and I can't deny it. I'm only losing weight because my calorie intake is low, not because I'm making healthy choices. When I start to plan out a healthier diet I get this immense overwhelming feeling that it's too hard or I have no idea what I'm doing.

I have a coach who's helping me with my programming, which in my opinion is excellent, but I still feel lost. I'm not even sure why I'm doing this anymore... I stumbled into powerlifting but it's not making me look the way I want to look, and oddly I still don't feel strong. I can squat 415 (parallel) but squatting down to pet my dog still feels awkward. It makes no sense. My mobility/recovery is still awful, and I have the same issue with there that I do with my diet... I have NO idea how to stretch or what stretches to even do. My cardio is essentially nonexistent at this point as well.

The more I read I feel like the less I understand and the more overwhelmed I become in all aspects of lifting/getting fit.

Any advice on how to overcome this?
Your numbers look great and you look decently strong. Do more moderate weight "vanity" exercises that work your triceps, pecs, and biceps if you want to look the part.

Also, I hate to be that guy but have you ever had anyone look at your deadlift technique? The last time I saw a back that rounded I was watching the dude ring the bell at Notre Dame.
 

jvalioli

Member
Oct 27, 2017
695
Natural limit was from a variety of different maximum LBM calculators. Some were tied in with FFMI calculators. All of which came out around 90kg give or take a few kilograms.

Look big in clothes was people of the same height as myself and a variety of different people that are usually around the 10% bf mark.

There is potential that I could naturally get bigger due to genetics as the numbers are estimates but really that number was my target anyway and about seeing if it was realistic.
I see. I just looked up a bunch of this stuff cause I had never heard of it before today. It doesn't seem particular well researched. I guess it can also be hard to tell what is realistic since it is so easy to hide steroid use.
 

Deleted member 984

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
5,203
I see. I just looked up a bunch of this stuff cause I had never heard of it before today. It doesn't seem particular well researched. I guess it can also be hard to tell what is realistic since it is so easy to hide steroid use.

Yeah it's not particularly well researched and FFMI has the most so far from what I have seen. Also you get a lot of people using them to say people aren't natty which really doesn't hold much weight. Just basic guidelines to give you averages and what you can expect, not hard truths.
 
Last edited:
Oct 27, 2017
5,000
Also, I hate to be that guy but have you ever had anyone look at your deadlift technique? The last time I saw a back that rounded I was watching the dude ring the bell at Notre Dame.
Literally every competitive powerlifter at my gym (some that hold state records) has said that my deadlift looks fine. Also keep in mind that was an absolute max attempt.

I don't want to sound like a jerk (I really appreciate the reply), but many top level powerlifters say that rounding your back is actually okay, as long as it stays stable throughout the lift. You're shoving your shoulders down instead of back and locking your lats differently. I'm still working on my form all the time to find what's comfortable for me.

If you want to look jacked as quickly as possible then bodybuilding is really your best option, but you aren't going to be pushing numbers like you are now which seeing as you are at a powerlifting gym you might get a lot of shit for it.

This is an issue for sure. I love my gym but they're WAY more hardcore than I thought when I joined up. I didn't realize literally everyone in there was a competitor. It has its positives and negatives.
 
Last edited:

jvalioli

Member
Oct 27, 2017
695
Literally every competitive powerlifter at my gym (some that hold state records) has said that my deadlift looks fine. Also keep in mind that was an absolute max attempt.

I don't want to sound like a jerk (I really appreciate the reply), but many top level powerlifters say that rounding your back is actually okay, as long as it stays stable throughout the lift. You're shoving your shoulders down instead of back and locking your lats differently. I'm still working on my form all the time to find what's comfortable for me.



This is an issue for sure. I love my gym but they're WAY more hardcore than I thought when I joined up. I didn't realize literally everyone in there was a competitor. It has its positives and negatives.
Yeah. Everyone's spine has a different tolerance for loaded flexion. You know your back better than anyone else and your coach most likely has you try different back positions. There are a few top level athletes that deadlift with a round back. Flat back deadlifting is a general advice for beginners before they know their body well enough to know if they should round a little.

Round back does have drawbacks though; lockouts a pretty tough which you can see in your video.
 
Oct 25, 2017
12,568
Just popping by to say whats up.

A little about myself, I eat a ketogenic diet, intermittent fast every other day for 16-24 hours, follow r/bodyweightfitness recommended routine which can be found here https://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/wiki/kb/recommended_routine. Before starting the body weight training, I was doing tabata/hiit training exercises with the occasional row machine and jog/run here and there. I am primarily focused on cutting. I eat 130-140g of protein a day, <20g carbs, the rest of my caloric balance goes to fats with a 20-30% caloric deficit.

Just thought I would check out the thread and say hello.
 

Astral

Member
Oct 27, 2017
28,110
Aztec Gods of Fitness, what's it like to maintain 10% fat? I'm 5'8" and my goal is to some day be around 180 pounds and 10% body fat. I've only been 10% once in my life and I was really skinny. Even just reaching that was hard though. Maintaining sounds even harder. I can't even imagine single digits. I guess I'm just feeling discouraged.
 

lenovox1

Member
Oct 26, 2017
8,995
Aztec Gods of Fitness, what's it like to maintain 10% fat? I'm 5'8" and my goal is to some day be around 180 pounds and 10% body fat. I've only been 10% once in my life and I was really skinny. Even just reaching that was hard though. Maintaining sounds even harder. I can't even imagine single digits. I guess I'm just feeling discouraged.

Are you a model or actor?

Because you can still look ripped at ~18% or under and enjoy normal hunger levels, hydration levels, and hormone levels.
 
Oct 25, 2017
12,568
Aztec Gods of Fitness, what's it like to maintain 10% fat? I'm 5'8" and my goal is to some day be around 180 pounds and 10% body fat. I've only been 10% once in my life and I was really skinny. Even just reaching that was hard though. Maintaining sounds even harder. I can't even imagine single digits. I guess I'm just feeling discouraged.

180 pounds and 10% body fat at 5ft8 seems super ambitious. Good luck.

I would be thrilled at 160ish lbs at 10% bf. I am also about 5ft8. Aiming to cut about 8lbs to 160ish. Gonna get an inbody scan at my gym to get an idea where my BF is before deciding where to go from there. I would rather be lean than bulky though, so I guess that is a personal preference.
 

Deleted member 984

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Aztec Gods of Fitness, what's it like to maintain 10% fat? I'm 5'8" and my goal is to some day be around 180 pounds and 10% body fat. I've only been 10% once in my life and I was really skinny. Even just reaching that was hard though. Maintaining sounds even harder. I can't even imagine single digits. I guess I'm just feeling discouraged.

Will depend on your genetics. For me 10-11% is easy, it's where I feel my best and have the most energy. If I do intuitive eating that is always where I level off regardless of type of exercise I'm doing.
 
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Sid

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Mar 28, 2018
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Hi guys, I had a question about whey....my weight is about 60 KG and I take roughly 50 grams of protein per day just through my diet. Would adding 1 scoop of whey protein daily be harmful in any way? I also got my blood protein tested it is at 7.4 and max range is 8.3...
 

viciouskillersquirrel

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Oct 25, 2017
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I've taken this week off as a deload, but I've caught my son's stomach bug. Aches, pains and chronic diarrhoea oh my!

I'm considering taking next week off too.
 

viciouskillersquirrel

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Oct 25, 2017
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I've taken this week off as a deload, but I've caught my son's stomach bug. Aches, pains and chronic diarrhoea oh my!

I'm considering taking next week off too.

Hi guys, I had a question about whey....my weight is about 60 KG and I take roughly 40 grams of protein per day just through my diet. Would adding 1 scoop of whey protein daily be harmful in any way? I also got my blood protein tested it is at 7.4 and max range is 8.3...
Depends on what you're trying to accomplish. If you're just living your life and not doing much in the way of training, you're probably fine. If you wanted to build up some muscle though, you should be getting more protein in your diet. 1.3 - 1.6g per kg of body weight (78-96g per day for you) is the range at which muscle growth is maximised, beyond which the extra gainz fall off a cliff.

A scoop of weigh protein isolate has ~25g of protein in it (this varies on the brand and size of scoop), so that brings you to 65g, which gets you closer to the range. Maybe you could add some extra lentils, beans, eggs, tuna, or chicken breast into your diet if you really wanted to see the benefits.

As for your blood protein, I wouldn't just assume that your dietary protein factors too heavily into that. Blood proteins are regulated by different systems to digestion, and elevated levels are far more likely to be caused by disease or faulty liver and kidney function than your suddenly eating a lot of chicken breast. It's like blood cholesterol - for most people eating a lot of eggs (which have huge amounts of cholesterol) has no effect on their levels whatsoever.

Too much protein can be bad for your kidney and liver function, but that tends to happen to people who megadose with the stuff and have silly amounts of protein in their diets. The 1g of protein per pound of body weight rule (about 2g per kg) you hear a lot about on body building forums is the bro science meme responsible for a lot of the "more protein is always better" attitude that leads to this situation. Plus, you can't discount the fact that some of these guys' livers are already stressed from unregulated PED abuse. In most cases though, the only thing all that extra protein leads to is obesity.

Don't take my word for it though. If you're really worried about it, see your doctor and ask what the protein levels mean for you.
 
Oct 25, 2017
12,568
Hi guys, I had a question about whey....my weight is about 60 KG and I take roughly 50 grams of protein per day just through my diet. Would adding 1 scoop of whey protein daily be harmful in any way? I also got my blood protein tested it is at 7.4 and max range is 8.3...

Excess dietary protein should be excreted or converted into glucose or ketones (which is an calorie expensive process). I am not that familiar with blood protein levels but I do not think it is caused by eating too much protein let alone an extra 20-25g.
 

Sid

Banned
Mar 28, 2018
3,755
Depends on what you're trying to accomplish. If you're just living your life and not doing much in the way of training, you're probably fine. If you wanted to build up some muscle though, you should be getting more protein in your diet. 1.3 - 1.6g per kg of body weight (78-96g per day for you) is the range at which muscle growth is maximised, beyond which the extra gainz fall off a cliff.

A scoop of weigh protein isolate has ~25g of protein in it (this varies on the brand and size of scoop), so that brings you to 65g, which gets you closer to the range. Maybe you could add some extra lentils, beans, eggs, tuna, or chicken breast into your diet if you really wanted to see the benefits.

As for your blood protein, I wouldn't just assume that your dietary protein factors too heavily into that. Blood proteins are regulated by different systems to digestion, and elevated levels are far more likely to be caused by disease or faulty liver and kidney function than your suddenly eating a lot of chicken breast. It's like blood cholesterol - for most people eating a lot of eggs (which have huge amounts of cholesterol) has no effect on their levels whatsoever.

Too much protein can be bad for your kidney and liver function, but that tends to happen to people who megadose with the stuff and have silly amounts of protein in their diets. The 1g of protein per pound of body weight rule (about 2g per kg) you hear a lot about on body building forums is the bro science meme responsible for a lot of the "more protein is always better" attitude that leads to this situation. Plus, you can't discount the fact that some of these guys' livers are already stressed from unregulated PED abuse. In most cases though, the only thing all that extra protein leads to is obesity.

Don't take my word for it though. If you're really worried about it, see your doctor and ask what the protein levels mean for you.
Thanks man, so it's OK of I add a scoop of ON Whey isolate then....I go to the gym 4-5 times a week and am mostly training with light to moderate weights with the aim to bulk up slightly...
Excess dietary protein should be excreted or converted into glucose or ketones (which is an calorie expensive process). I am not that familiar with blood protein levels but I do not think it is caused by eating too much protein let alone an extra 20-25g.
So a total of around 75G protein would increase my sugar level?
 

tellNoel

Member
Oct 26, 2017
10,254
I'm confused now.
I thought the consensus was around 0.6g-1.5g of protein per body weight pound?
At least that's what my macros tell me
 
Oct 25, 2017
12,568
I'm confused now.
I thought the consensus was around 0.6g-1.5g of protein per body weight pound?
At least that's what my macros tell me


This article goes over a couple studies and 1 meta analysis and concludes .62g per pound of lean mass is where the cutoff happens. It suggests going higher than .82g per pound of lean mass is excessive but it does not seem to be harmful either. I have tried 1g per lbs of lean mass. It is a bit tough to hit tbh and since the science does not really support it, nor did I have any noticeable benefit, I am scaling back down to .75g per lbs of lean mass. This puts me at 107g of protein and I will likely add maybe 10g on strength training days.

One reason I went higher is because I started working out more. Seemed like a safe bet to help with DOMS or perhaps other small incidental benefits.
 
Oct 25, 2017
1,205
I take in additional protein about 1-1.2g per lb of body weight a day mainly due to the fact that I am at a caloric deficit and there are studies that show this will help prevent/slow down lean muscle mass loss during this period.

I think there are studies that go both ways.
 

Sid

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Mar 28, 2018
3,755
Oh god, I just don't want my kidneys or liver to explode by taking 75g of total protein
 

Deleted member 984

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OK, so I know I'm acting a bit mental here but 75 is nowhere near high for me right? first time I'm using a supplement and hearing all sorts of shit from everyone

There isn't really a consensus either way. The evidence is leaning more to the lower numbers like .7 and .8 per lb, so as long as you are eating a decent amount but more importantly putting the work in and constantly progressing there shouldn't be a problem.
 

Sid

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Mar 28, 2018
3,755
Thanks for the help everyone!

There isn't really a consensus either way. The evidence is leaning more to the lower numbers like .7 and .8 per lb, so as long as you are eating a decent amount but more importantly putting the work in and constantly progressing there shouldn't be a problem.
So I'm 60KG and this converted to lbs is 132 which means I should take 90+gm a day? I train with light to moderate weights BTW
 

viciouskillersquirrel

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Oct 25, 2017
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Thanks for the help everyone!


So I'm 60KG and this converted to lbs is 132 which means I should take 90+gm a day?
A daily average of 80-100g should do you, depending on how hard you're training. If you don't get enough protein, your body doesn't recover as quickly and can't grow/repair your muscles owing to a lack of building materials. Too much protein and the excess mostly gets burned for energy. Waaaaaaay too much (plus pre-existing liver issues) causes problems.

4-5 sessions a week at the gym suggests should be getting more than 75g per day, unless you're just not trying at all.
 

Thac0

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Nov 15, 2017
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Literally every competitive powerlifter at my gym (some that hold state records) has said that my deadlift looks fine. Also keep in mind that was an absolute max attempt.

I don't want to sound like a jerk (I really appreciate the reply), but many top level powerlifters say that rounding your back is actually okay, as long as it stays stable throughout the lift. You're shoving your shoulders down instead of back and locking your lats differently. I'm still working on my form all the time to find what's comfortable for me.



This is an issue for sure. I love my gym but they're WAY more hardcore than I thought when I joined up. I didn't realize literally everyone in there was a competitor. It has its positives and negatives.

Sure, some competitive powerlifters round their upper back and dropping the shoulders reduces rom just a little bit more, but they generally keep the lower back straight. But if you've gotten good feedback and it feels fine then keep on keeping on. It's entirely possible that the angle of the video is exacerbating the effect. Could look much better to an in-person observer.

Oh and I forgot to mention the best exercise (I think) for looking bigger: pull ups, especially wide grip. I started adding 5 sets of 10 (well, started with a pyramid down from 10) pull ups in 2-3 times a week and it's made a big difference.
 
Oct 25, 2017
1,205
4-5 sessions a week at the gym suggests should be getting more than 75g per day, unless you're just not trying at all.

Highlighting this. If you do more, you should consume more as it does help recovery quite a bit.

I'll echo myself in saying that if you are at a caloric deficit, it also doesn't hurt to consume more to help combat lean muscle degradation during a deficit